Italian based on the color of the sauces, he will tell you. Italy is a complex blend of so many regions, each with its own specialty. During frequent visits home, he ventures off the beaten path in search of new stories to tell through his recipes. Virtually every dish has its own unique tale that he will be more than happy to share if you inquire. The freshly baked peasant loaf was heavenly and warm; and while the focaccia would have been a delectable sponge for any leftover sauces later to come in the meal, barely a crumb was left before even the first course arrived. Because Giuseppe's father ran a flour mill in Rofrano (a city with a population of just over 2,000 in the Salerno province of Italy just south of the Amalfi Coast), he was raised with an early affinity for unique flours and the resulting textures and flavors they produce. Thankfully, he exercises this expertise far beyond the bread basket, and allows it to beautifully infiltrate each of his unique homemade pasta dishes. "The pasta may take a minute," he explains, much to my relief, while my stomach laughs with the bread and wine happily settling in. "We make all of our pasta fresh to order, so the cooks are back there cutting it for you right now." The first dish to arrive featured pasta made from the flour of ground chestnuts. The rich, buttery nuttiness is harmonized gloriously with a kaleidoscope of gently blanched arugula, cherry tomatoes, generous pieces of sautéed shrimp, and a simple broth of oil and fresh garlic (to maximize flavor, his wife insists on the use of whole cloves simply crushed with the flat side of a knife just before adding to the sauté). As I savor each bite with goosebumps running the length of my arm, he shares the story of this dish with roots in Castagna. "See, you don't need a big sauce when you have flavors like this, no?" He's absolutely correct. Any cream or tomato sauce would only mask this exquisite bouquet. I am instantly in heaven, and it's only the first course. When I compliment the particularly delicious pieces of shrimp, Giuseppe asks if I am a fan of fish. As soon as I affirm, he retrieves a small package of what he explains to be bottarga (tuna caviar that has been massaged by hand to remove any air pockets, then dried and cured in sea salt for a few weeks, and finally sealed in beeswax). "Put a little bit of your pasta on this small plate," he cautions, "just in case you don't like it." He returns from the kitchen with a cheese grater, and then shaves some of the bottarga onto my pasta. The saltiness somehow explodes all of the flavors even more, and perfectly complements the shrimp, as he suggested. "We don't offer this on the menu, but if you want it and we have it, just ask for some. It's good even with just bread." Giuseppe credits his twin sister for the recipe to this next dish. “I want you to try this, because I know it’s something you would not order if you just read the ingredients on a menu in the window. But will you please try it?" I am slowly realizing that I have sat down to dinner with a genuine Epicurean, who exudes a contagious passion for Italian food, the confidence of a culinary Olympic gold medalist, but not even the slightest hint of arrogance you might expect from someone of his stature and life experience. In just a few bites, he has completely earned my full trust, and I can’t wait to dive into this family recipe. I've never tasted anything like this before. Giuseppe is again correct. I most likely would not have chosen buckwheat pasta with cabbage and potatoes, for fear that it might taste like noodles and sauerkraut. Would I have ever missed out! These dark ribbons of pasta have a firm, yet yielding texture unlike any other pasta (nothing like their Japanese cousin, the soba noodle). The potatoes bring out the earthiness of the buckwheat, yet absorb all of the flavors of the oil and garlic. The cabbage is sliced so thin, and sautéed so delicately that you can barely tell the difference between it and the shreds of fontina cheese. This has opened up a whole new world to me, and I can finally share with my mom that pasta and potatoes are not too much starch together, but actually couple perfectly. (continued on page 48) MAY 2015 | BOROMAG.COM | 47 Homemade buckwheat pasta with braised cabbage & fontina
BM052015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above